Reed College Top Questions

Challenging!!!

Amazing, people are too smart here.

Academics are excellent, lots of personal attention from professors, superb student colleagues.

Demanding but rewarding

Favorite classes: Sculpture, Twentieth Century Experimental Theatre, Hum 220, Costume Design and Yoga. Least favorite classes: Biology and Latin...but only because I'm really not very good at them, which makes me sad. All the stuff you hear about insane amounts of work is true. Def.def.def. true. Of course, it all depends on the classes you're taking (type and number). I like to push myself, so I often take an overload. That means, of course, that I'm really not allowed to complain when I have to pull all-nighters (or consecutive all-nighters). I think that the easiest way to explain academics at Reed is to say that if you don't like studying, writing, researching, reading, you should not come to Reed. Really. Because if you don't enjoy it, you won't make it. For most Reedies, it isn't about academics itself. We're here because we're curious and we want to learn as much as we can about the world around us (hence the fact that we don't even see our grades unless we ask for them). In that way, Reed is more intellectual than any other college I know. Sweeeeeeeet.

If you would rather take a back seat in college, don't bother going to Reed, because there aren't any. The classes are small (read: tiny) and you will be called on. Participation is inevitable. Guaranteed. Students love to play a more intellectualized version of yo' mamma, trying to one up eachother with their insights into the assigned reading. Professors are all called by their first name. If you are a poli sci major expect to delve into everything from Marx to Samuel Huntington to (ugh) Al Gore. Contrary to popular belief, there ARE grades at Reed -- however, they are not given to you unless you ask. This is the danger. Many Reedies wait until applying to grad school before finding out their GPAs. Bad idea. (Instead of grades on individual assignments you get comments from the professor.)

General overview: Academics at Reed are stellar. Be prepared to work your ass off; it'll be worth it. Your professor will know your name (unless he's old and senile, like Joe Bob), and you will know his or her first name/nickname (e.g., Joe Bob). Class participation is mandatory. If you don't like talking about your schoolwork outside of class, don't come here. If reading isn't your thing, don't bother applying (unless you're a math or science major) because you will hate it here. My experience: I've struggled here, and I considered myself a smart guy in high school. I've been on academic probation once and official warning twice. I've failed a class, and I still consider myself a smart guy. If I weren't a Psych major, I would have flunked out by now. People give Psych majors a hard time because they have "less work" than other majors, which is somewhat true: Psychology journal articles generally have fewer pages of reading and some of the profs assign shorter papers, but there's just as much time and critical thinking involved. A lot of the shit Psych majors get from other students is a result of academic dick-measuring, which happens A LOT at Reed. "Oh, you have 200 pages of reading to do? Well I have 300 pages of reading AND a 17-page paper due on Friday!" I have it better off though, because the Psych department has the most helpful professors on campus. I highly recommend taking "Thinking" with Dan Reisberg before he retires. The math department is also rad. I was almost a math major, and my favorite class ever continues to be Intro to Number Theory with Jamie Pommersheim. If you're into math, take a class with Jamie before you leave here. He's awesome.

The academics at Reed are great. They will totally kick your ass. We have small classes, so the teachers learn the names of students in their departments. Most people, faculty and students alike, really care about academics. It's what we're here for, right?

If you receive joy from academics, Reed is about the most joyful place you can be. Students really push themselves and each other: not from some shallow, grade-grubbing, med-school directed hysteria, but rather because they get satisfaction from learning and understanding. Students put in the work not only because they know professors expect a high quality of work from them, but also because they demand a high quality of work from themselves. Learning is an important and serious matter, so learn all you can, but why not enjoy yourself and think creatively while you are at it. Conference style is the dominant class form, allowing students to put as much thought and energy into a lesson as they want: Luckily students do put in the energy and the flow of ideas is normally brilliant and stimulating

Academics are great!... i loved all the classes I took and the professors were amazing. Definitely the best thing of Reed.